I performed a consultation for a woman whose new nipple piercings were placed very deeply:

Dear Elayne,

I recently got both of my nipples pierced. I worry that they were pierced too deep. I have puffy nipples that aren't hard very often so I suppose they need to be pierced deeper than normal. My left one has been giving me a lot of trouble but the right is fine. I feel like the top of the left one tries to bury into my piercing. I'm not sure if it's too deep, the bar is too short, or if the balls are irritating me. I plan on changing to PFTE once it has healed.

I've provided some photos for you to look. I'd like to not remove them as I paid nearly $80 for the piercings but if they appear detrimental to my nipples I would take them out.

Thank you,

S

My reply:

Hi S.

The piercings do appear to be deeper than they had to be. I have marked one of the photos with arrows showing where the entry and exit should have been located on that side.

I don't know that price should be your key deciding factor on whether to keep the piercings and make the effort required to heal them since they are not optimally placed. There's a chance the piercer may be willing to redo them (if you trust him or her to do so) in the more traditional placement (in the natural crease that defines the tip of the nipple from the base--where I marked the image).

If you're happy with the placement then I do think you could heal them, though they are apt to take longer to heal than piercings in the correct position.

And very importantly, your jewelry is too short! If you wish to keep these piercings, please see your piercer right away to get in bars that are long enough to allow a small amount of the post to be exposed on each side (a millimeter or so) when your nipples are relaxed to their widest measurement.

Hi, I recently (about 3weeks ago got my nipples pierced.i can relate to the young lady above I feel my bar on the right is too short and a little deeper than my left one ....The balls have caused indentations where they sit that I have to clean as well as soak Will it ever heal ? Should I wait before I get them removed should I allow the piercer to redo them now? HELP!!!!

Submitted by Anonymousjazz (not verified) on May 3, 2013 - 10:55pm.

Hi there,

Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, the comments section of my blog post is not the best place for your inquiry.

If you're having a piercing emergency, consult your piercer or a medical professional. If you believe that your piercer is competent I'd refer you back to them (or another local piercer who is) for guidance, since they can actually see the problem in person. All of my piercer referrals are listed here:

If I haven't personally worked with or trained any piercers in your area, you can check the website for a member of the Association of Professional Piercers who is local to you: http://www.safepiercing.org

The APP is a non-profit international organization dedicated to disseminating vital health and safety information about piercing to piercers, piercees, medical professionals, legislators, and the general public. The piercers are not "certified" by the association, however. While some of the piercers on the list may have taken my seminars at the annual APP conferences, I still wouldn't consider them to have been "trained by me," as those courses only last a few hours and aren't sufficient for providing a thorough education. Please meet the piercer and see if you develop a good rapport and if they inspire your confidence.

If you need help with a piercing problem or wish to have your anatomy evaluated in relation to piercing suitability, please visit my consultations page here: http://piercingbible.com/consultations